[9]For
the first time, scientists are using advanced technology and an innovative
vessel to study, image, and map the unexplored offshore Northern San Andreas
Fault from north of San Francisco to its termination at the junction of three
tectonic plates off Mendocino, California.

While
the fault on land is obscured by erosion, vegetation
and urbanization in many places, scientists expect the subsea portion
of the
fault to include deep rifts and high walls, along with areas supporting
animal
life. The expedition team is using high-resolution sonar mapping,
subsurface
seismic data and imaging with digital cameras for the first-ever
three-dimensional bathymetric-structural map that will model the
undersea Northern San Andreas Fault and its structure. Little is
known about the offshore fault due to perennial bad weather that has
limited
scientific investigations.Earthquakes
in California—especially along the San Andreas Fault—have a
critical effect not only locally with property damage and loss of life, but
impact the national economy with shipping and transportation interruptions,
infrastructure damage and higher insurance premiums for all.

More than a century after the 1906 Great San Francisco
Earthquake, the science team is also exploring the fault for lessons associated
with the intertwined relationships between major earthquakes and biological
diversity. Evidence shows that active fluid and gas venting along fast-moving
tectonic systems, such as the San Andreas Fault,
create and recreate productive, unique and unexplored ecosystems. Full
release[12]

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